(1) Zero the analyzers and obtain a stable zero reading. Recheck after tests.

(2) Introduce span gases and set instrument gains. In order to avoid errors, span and calibrate at the same flow rates used to analyze the test sample. Span gases should have concentrations equal to 75 to 100 percent of full scale. If gain has shifted significantly on the analyzers, check the calibrations. Show actual concentrations on chart.

(3) Check zeros; repeat the procedure in paragraphs (a) (1) and (2) of this section if required.

(6) Check zero and span points. If difference is greater than 2 percent of full scale, repeat the procedure in paragraphs (a) (1) through (5) of this section.

(b) For CH3OH (methanol-fueled vehicles), introduce test samples into the gas chromatograph and measure the concentration. This concentration is CMS in the calculations.

(c) For HCHO (methanol-fueled vehicles), introduce test samples into the high pressure liquid chromatograph and measure the concentration of formaldehyde as a dinitropheylhydrazine derivative in acetonitrile. This concentration is CFS in the calculations.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) are extending the comment period for the joint proposed rules “Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Fuel Efficiency Standards for Medium- and Heavy-Duty Engines and Vehicles—Phase 2,” and also for NHTSA's Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). The proposed rules were published in the Federal Register on July 13, 2015. The comment period for the proposed rules was to end on September 17, 2015. The DEIS was published to a NHTSA Docket on June 19, 2015, and the comment period for that document was to end on August 31, 2015. The purpose of this action is to extend the comment period for the proposed rules and the DEIS to October 1, 2015.

2015-08-05; vol. 80 # 150 - Wednesday, August 5, 2015

80 FR 46526 - Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Fuel Efficiency Standards for Medium- and Heavy-Duty Engines and Vehicles—Phase 2; Notice of Public Hearings and Comment Period

NHTSA and EPA will jointly hold a public hearing on Tuesday, August 18, 2015, beginning at 9:00 a.m. local time. EPA and NHTSA will make every effort to accommodate all speakers that arrive and register. The hearing will continue until everyone has had a chance to speak. If you would like to present oral testimony at this public hearing, please contact the person identified under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT by August 11, 2015. In order to provide commenters 30 days after the last public hearing, the comment period for the proposal has been extended through September 17, 2015.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) are announcing a public hearing to be held for the joint proposed rules “Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Fuel Efficiency Standards for Medium- and Heavy-Duty Engines and Vehicles—Phase 2,” and also for NHTSA's Draft Environmental Impact Statement. The proposed rules were published in the Federal Register on July 13, 2015. The Draft Environmental Impact Statement was published on June 19, 2015, and is available on the NHTSA Web site mentioned below. This hearing will be the second of two hearings, which will be held on August 6 and August 18, 2015. The August 6, 2015 hearing was announced in a separate Federal Register notice on July 28, 2015.

2015-07-28; vol. 80 # 144 - Tuesday, July 28, 2015

80 FR 44863 - Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Fuel Efficiency Standards for Medium- and Heavy-Duty Engines and Vehicles—Phase 2; Notice of Public Hearings and Comment Period

NHTSA and EPA will jointly hold a public hearing on Thursday, August 6, 2015, beginning at 9:00 a.m. local time, and a second hearing on Tuesday, August 18, 2015, beginning at 9:00 a.m. local time. EPA and NHTSA will make every effort to accommodate all speakers that arrive and register. Each hearing will continue until everyone has had a chance to speak. If you would like to present oral testimony at one of these this public hearings, please contact the person identified under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT by August 3, 2015, for the first hearing, or by August 11, 2015, for the second hearing. In order to provide commenters 30 days after the last public hearing, the comment period for the proposal is being extended through September 17, 2015.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) are announcing public hearings to be held for the joint proposed rules “Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Fuel Efficiency Standards for Medium- and Heavy-Duty Engines and Vehicles—Phase 2,” and also for NHTSA's Draft Environmental Impact Statement. The proposed rules were published in the Federal Register on July 13, 2015. The Draft Environmental Impact Statement was published on June 19, 2015, and is available on the NHTSA Web site mentioned below. Two hearings will be held on August 6 and August 18, 2015.

Comments on all aspects of this proposal must be received on or before September 11, 2015. Under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), comments on the information collection provisions are best assured of consideration if the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) receives a copy of your comments on or before August 12, 2015. EPA and NHTSA will announce the public hearing dates and locations for this proposal in a supplemental Federal Register document.

EPA and NHTSA, on behalf of the Department of Transportation, are each proposing rules to establish a comprehensive Phase 2 Heavy-Duty (HD) National Program that will reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and fuel consumption for new on-road heavy-duty vehicles. This technology-advancing program would phase in over the long-term, beginning in the 2018 model year and culminating in standards for model year 2027, responding to the President's directive on February 18, 2014, to develop new standards that will take us well into the next decade. NHTSA's proposed fuel consumption standards and EPA's proposed carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emission standards are tailored to each of four regulatory categories of heavy-duty vehicles: Combination tractors; trailers used in combination with those tractors; heavy-duty pickup trucks and vans; and vocational vehicles. The proposal also includes separate standards for the engines that power combination tractors and vocational vehicles. Certain proposed requirements for control of GHG emissions are exclusive to EPA programs. These include EPA's proposed hydrofluorocarbon standards to control leakage from air conditioning systems in vocational vehicles, and EPA's proposed nitrous oxide (N 2 O) and methane (CH 4 ) standards for heavy-duty engines. Additionally, NHTSA is addressing misalignment in the Phase 1 standards between EPA and NHTSA to ensure there are no differences in compliance standards between the agencies. In an effort to promote efficiency, the agencies are also proposing to amend their rules to modify reporting requirements, such as the method by which manufacturers submit pre-model, mid-model, and supplemental reports. EPA's proposed HD Phase 2 GHG emission standards are authorized under the Clean Air Act and NHTSA's proposed HD Phase 2 fuel consumption standards authorized under the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. These standards would begin with model year 2018 for trailers under EPA standards and 2021 for all of the other heavy-duty vehicle and engine categories. The agencies estimate that the combined standards would reduce CO 2 emissions by approximately 1 billion metric tons and save 1.8 billion barrels of oil over the life of vehicles and engines sold during the Phase 2 program, providing over $200 billion in net societal benefits. As noted, the proposal also includes certain EPA-specific provisions relating to control of emissions of pollutants other than GHGs. EPA is seeking comment on non-GHG emission standards relating to the use of auxiliary power units installed in tractors. In addition, EPA is proposing to clarify the classification of natural gas engines and other gaseous-fueled heavy-duty engines, and is proposing closed crankcase standards for emissions of all pollutants from natural gas heavy-duty engines. EPA is also proposing technical amendments to EPA rules that apply to emissions of non-GHG pollutants from light-duty motor vehicles, marine diesel engines, and other nonroad engines and equipment. Finally, EPA is proposing to require that rebuilt engines installed in new incomplete vehicles meet the emission standards applicable in the year of assembly, including all applicable standards for criteria pollutants.